Editor's Note Adding cognitive assessment to frailty assessment predicted poor postoperative outcomes and survival in frail patients better than either measurement alone, this study finds. The study included 330 patients having major surgery who were assessed with a four-level composite frailty scoring system, which was created by combining the Fried…

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Editor's Note Researchers have released a surgical technical evidence review for colorectal surgery (published online August 7 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons) as the first step in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery, a nationwide program to…

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Editor's Note The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, was ranked the nation’s top hospital by US News & World Report in its 2017-2018 Honor Roll of Best Hospitals. The Honor Roll consists of 20 hospitals with the highest combined overall scores in 16 medical-surgical specialties. Cleveland Clinic was second, Johns Hopkins…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on August 7 announced the release of a new manual, “Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety,” to help guide surgeons in leading quality improvement and patient safety efforts in their organizations. The collaborative publication from 135 contributing authors and two surgeon…

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Editor's Note An Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) program for colorectal surgery patients shortened hospital length of stay by more than half, reduced complications by more than one-third, and cut costs by some $11,000 per procedure, finds a study presented July 23 at the American College of Surgeons 2017 Quality…

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Editor's Note Reporting of surgical site infections (SSIs) after pancreatic surgery should distinguish between superficial and organ-space infections, which will require different preventative strategies, this study finds. Results showed that risk factors for superficial and organ-space SSIs after pancreatic surgery differed. Preoperative biliary stenting was an independent risk factor for superficial…

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Uncertainties pepper the healthcare landscape, but the shift to value-based care is expected to continue, even though momentum may slow under the current administration. That means perioperative services leaders must continue to explore new care delivery options such as the perioperative surgical home (sidebar, p 17). “The demand for value…

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Editor's Note Safety-net hospitals treat a disproportionate number of patients with advanced appendicitis and use laparoscopy less often, but their rates of morbidity and costs are similar to other hospitals, this study finds. In this analysis of 349 nonfederally funded hospitals in California performing 274,405 appendectomies, safety-net (compared with non-safety-net)…

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Editor's Note The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons have jointly published new clinical practice guidelines on enhanced recovery after colon and rectal surgery. The enhanced recovery protocol is multidisciplinary, including physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and dietitians and involves all aspects of care…

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Editor's Note Nurse leaders are integral in enhancing professional practice environments, and their influence links structures necessary for an environment that supports outcomes, this study finds. In this analysis of 30 nurse leaders and 169 clinical nurses at a 247-bed acute care Magnet hospital, leaders perceived their influence from “often”…

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